KITTEN TALK
Vaccinations
Several diseases that cats get are almost always fatal - feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis, and rabies, for instance. Other diseases can kill kittens or cause chronic reoccurring clinical signs in adult cats. Fortunately for your pet, vaccinations are available to prevent many cat diseases. Vaccines protect pets against common viruses and bacteria that cause disease. Because many kittens may not develop immunity against diseases for several weeks and may actually be incubating a disease themselves, new kittens should not be exposed to other cats until their vaccination schedule is complete. Below is a summary of the vaccination schedule that is recommended by a Veterinarian.
FVRCP/CHLAMYDIA is given every 3 weeks until the kitten is at least 15-16 weeks old, then repeated every 12 months after that. o (FVR) FELINE VIRAL RHINOTRACHEITIS is an upper respiratory disease that is easily passed from one cat to another by droplets in the air from coughing or sneezing. Kittens can die from the disease, especially if they get pneumonia. o (C) CALICIVIRUS is another upper respiratory disease. Cats with respiratory disease have watery or sticky discharge from the nose and eyes, nose and mouth sores, inflamed eyes and sometimes a fever. o (P) PANLEUKOPENIA is sometimes called feline distemper. This is a common virus of cats that can affect many parts of a cat’s body, causing fever, appetite loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weakness, tremors, and incoordination. Death can occur within a week. o CHLAMYDIA is yet another upper respiratory disease that primarily causes inflammation of the eyes and nose. FELINE LEUKEMIA is a virus that suppresses the cat’s immune system, leaving it unable to fight off other infections, such as pneumonia. Feline Leukemia can also cause cancer in a small proportion of cats. Two initial doses are given three weeks apart, followed by a yearly booster. FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS can cause a variety of clinical signs. Some cats develop a fluid build up in their abdomen while others develop a fever and begin to show weight loss. The risk of getting this disease is relatively low, but cats that do get this disease usually die. There is a vaccine for this disease but the efficacy is still being debated. We usually only recommend vaccinating cats that are at a high risk (i.e. outdoor cats). Two doses are given three to four weeks apart, followed by a yearly booster dose. Please let us know if your cat will be spending time outdoors. RABIES is the only virus that can affect humans as well as cats and other species. It affects the nervous system and is usually fatal. It is especially important to vaccinate cats against rabies, because most rabies in domestic (non-wild) animals occurs in cats. The first booster, by law, must be given by the age of 12 weeks. The Rabies vaccine must be repeated within 12 months of the initial vaccine and then is required by law to be given every 3 years for life. BORDETELLA is a bacterium that causes an upper respiratory infection in both cats and dogs. A recent study showed 85% of cats tested had been exposed to bordetella. If your cat came from a shelter, wandered up to your house, will be allowed outside, taken to the groomer, boarded while you are on vacation or if you have a multi-cat household, there is a strong potential for exposure to bordetella.
Recommended Testing
Feline Leukemia test – Feline Leukemia is a deadly disease caused by a virus that inhibits the immune system and results in various types of cancer and other chronic and debilitating diseases in cats. It is transmitted by other cats via saliva, urine, and other body fluids. It can also be transmitted from a mother cat to her kittens. We recommend that all kittens be tested for this deadly and contagious disease because clinical signs may not be apparent for months and the disease is not treatable. If negative we recommend vaccinating your kitten to prevent this disease. (See above) Fecal (worm check) – We recommend checking your kitten’s stool for the presence of internal parasites such as coccidiosis, hookworms, and roundworms. Because early infestations can be difficult to detect we always check two samples three weeks apart and then once yearly after that. Tapeworms do not usually produce eggs in the stool so they can be even harder to detect.
Heartworm Preventatives
Heartworm disease is caused by a roundworm called Dirofilaria immitis. Heartworms are most commonly found in dogs, although they can infect a wide variety of mammals, including ferrets, sea lions, bears, foxes, wolves, coyotes, cats, and even humans. Adult heartworms live in the heart and major arteries of the lungs where they interfere with the function of the heart and lungs.
Heartworms can only be transmitted from one animal to another by mosquitoes. In cats, heartworms live for 1 to 2 years and it is uncommon for cats to have more than 2 or 3 adult heartworms. Small numbers of heartworms, however, may cause serious disease in cats. Vomiting or respiratory signs (coughing and difficult breathing) are commonly seen in chronic cases of heartworm disease in cats. Cats may have severe, acute disease with signs of respiratory collapse and, in some cases, sudden death. In acute cases, death may be so rapid that there is insufficient time to make a diagnosis or offer treatment. Cats that die from heartworm disease can appear clinically normal 1 hour before death. Because heartworms are seen in this area we strongly recommend that you place your cat on heartworm preventative. We also recommend having your cat tested for heartworms through a blood test at least once every three years if your cat is on heartworm preventative or once yearly if your cat is not taking heartworm preventative. There are several forms of heartworm and/or flea prevention available. We recommend that you speak to your vet for heartworm and flea medications. Cats that remain indoors should be at a lower risk of becoming infected than cats that go outdoors because of the reduced exposure to mosquitoes. Despite this, heartworm infections have been reported in strictly indoor cats and in some areas the incidence in indoor cats is actually higher than outdoor cats. Infected mosquitoes that entered the house cause these infections. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment available for cats with heartworm disease. This is why prevention is so important.
Flea Prevention Fleas do not typically spread from pet to pet. Pets acquire fleas from infested environments. Previously, it was thought that the flea remained on the pet only long enough to feed. The adult flea, however, is a permanent ectoparasite. It’s dependent on a constant source of blood once it feeds on a host and initiates reproduction and egg production, typically within 24-48 hours of a blood meal. Flea eggs readily fall from the host wherever it goes and accumulate in areas where the pet rest or sleeps Just two adult female fleas can produce 100 eggs per day. Fleas are attracted to your pet by his/her body heat, movement, and exhaled carbon dioxide. A few fleas can be hard to detect. Since it takes three weeks for these eggs to reach the adult stage, it may be over three weeks before the client actually notices fleas. Because fleas can reproduce very quickly before clients even notice a problem, addulticides used alone may not prevent flea infestation from developing. We recommend Revolution.
Routine Kitten Schedule
6-8 weeks 9-11 weeks 12-14 weeks 15-17 weeks FVRCP/Chlamydia(Temp) FVRCP/Chlamydia(Temp) FVRCP/Chlamydia(Temp) FVRCP/Chlamydia(Final) Feline Leuk test Leukemia Feline 1st Leukemia Feline 2nd Htwm/Flea Preventative Fecal Flotation Fecal Flotation Rabies- KITTENS FIRST Htwm/Flea Preventative Htwm/Flea Preventative Bordetella Feline De-worm De-worm Htwm/Flea Preventative
Adult Cats Routine vaccinations for adult cats
• Exam-vaccination– yearly!!!! (This is more important than vaccines) • Rabies (required by law) – a booster is required within 12 months of the initial vaccine and then once every 3 years. (SQ-right hip) • FVRCP/Chlamydia - Annual – (Feline viral rhinotracheitis, calici virus, panleukopenia) – yearly (SQ-right shoulder) • Bordetella Feline (common cause of kennel cough) – yearly (intra-nasal) • Leukemia Feline-Annual – yearly (SQ-left hip) • Fecal Flotation – 2-4 times yearly • Heartworm test-Fel Antech – First done at about 1 year of age and then every three years • Refill Heartworm/Flea preventative (it is always best to send home a year supply, we offer a 10% discount) • Information provided by Dr. Denise Smith D.V.M.